


Have Yourself A Kwami Little Christmas

by Aishoka



Series: Aishoka's Daily Writing Challenges [4]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Aishoka’s 2020 Christmas Challenge, Gen, I have not yet seen s2 or s3, a sort of prequel but both fics can be read as stand-alones, annual christmas fic, kwami human friendships, no obvious pairings but there might be some background appearances, this is set before my All I Want For Christmas fic, this will be heavy on fluff and humour
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-01
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:34:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 10,192
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27805444
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aishoka/pseuds/Aishoka
Summary: Plagg and Tikki are celebrating their first modern Christmas this year, but they have no idea what that entails. It's up to Adrien and Marinette to teach them how to have a Merry Christmas.
Relationships: Plagg & Adrien Agreste, Tikki & Marinette Dupain-Cheng
Series: Aishoka's Daily Writing Challenges [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1616614
Comments: 42
Kudos: 23





	1. It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year… unless you’re a millennia old kwami who has never experienced a 21st century Christmas before.

Plagg eyed the camembert in his paws and wondered if he dared to commit the horrendous and unforgivable sin of shoving it into his ears.

“... _fa la la la la, la la la la_ …”

It wouldn’t be so bad, would it? He could probably, possibly, _maybe_ , still eat it later on, right? Heck, it might even be a novel twist on the proper presentation of the delightful cheese. 

It would certainly do the job of drowning out Adrien’s terrible singing.

“... _fa la la la la, la la la la_ …”

For someone so amazingly talented with music, his singing voice was atrocious! It was one of the worst voices Plagg had ever heard. Considering how long he had been around, that was saying something.

Plagg winced when Adrien somehow combined two notes that should never have been combined and wondered if this was karma for something. But he couldn’t really think of _anything_ he’d done that was awful enough to deserve _this_! He yelped at a particularly shrill note and glared at his human. “Urgh, will you please shut up! You’re curdling my cheese!”

Adrien just grinned at him and continued spinning excitedly on his desk chair, ignoring the mountain of work in front of him. “But Plagg, _it’s the most wonderful time of the ye_ -ouch!”

Plagg couldn't take it any longer and committed the slightly less horrible sin of throwing his beloved camembert at Adrien, where it hit him on the back of the head and finally, finally, shut that terrible noise up! “Silence! Blessed silence! How I have missed thee!”

“There’s no need to be snippy.” Adrien rolled his eyes as he checked the back of his head for camembert flakes. “I’m just celebrating.”

“Oh, is that what you’re calling it these days? I thought it was a cruel and unusual torture.”

“Plagg, it’s nearly December! It's nearly Christmas! Lighten up and have some fun.”

It was Plagg’s turn to roll his eyes. “Please. It isn’t even a real festival. They just took a mid-winter festival and slapped a different label on it. Big deal.” He floated across the room, ignoring the scandalised look on Adrien’s face, the kid was so dramatic after all, and grabbed his cheese from the floor. It was a little squashed but surprisingly intact given the force he had thrown it with.

“But… but _Christmas_!”

Like _that_ was a good comeback. “It’s nothing special kid. Nothing like it was in Egypt back in the good old days.” Plagg floated down to lie on Adrien’s ignored homework on his desk, still examining his cheese. It might actually be edible. Of course he wouldn’t be able to enjoy it properly until the kid had stopped trying to shatter every bit of glass in the house. “Those were good times back then. Feasts and festivals that went on for days and days at a time. The streets were overflowing with food and wine. Nothing like this dour and short little festival of yours. _They_ knew how to party, _and_ how to treat a magnificent cat such as myself,” Plagg preened, lost in his memories. He sighed softly. “I do miss my Bastet.”

He sniffed at his cheese again but Adrien just didn’t seem willing to let the subject drop. He was still gaping with that incredulous and scandalised look.

“Have you _ever_ celebrated Christmas before? I mean a real one!” Adrien scoffed. “You can’t have if you think there are better holidays.”

Well, _that_ sounded like a challenge Plagg couldn’t leave unanswered. “I know there are better. I’ve had better. But, since I’m a wonderful and amazing kwami, I’ll answer your question. I don’t know.”

“What do you mean you don’t know?”

“I don’t know if I’ve had a ‘real’ Christmas, as you call it. I mean, I probably have. I’ve been all over the world in my millennia of making cat heroes. I’m sure there was bound to be a Christmas festival somewhere in there at some point.” 

Plagg took a delicate bite of camembert and chewed it experimentally. Neither the taste or the texture seemed to have been adversely affected by it’s aerial adventure. He’d have to do a few more taste tests which meant ending this conversation quickly. The sooner Adrien realised that Plagg had seen it all and done it all, and was therefore right about _everything_ , the easier their lives would be. Now, when was his last Christmas?

“Hmm, well, it wasn’t the last time I was awake…” Plagg mused. He had camembert now, and last time had been rǔbǐng - that was rural China over a century ago so no Christmas there. “...or the time before that…” he’d lived on paneer for two years then, so that was India and Biladi, “...or the time before that…” he’d been back in Egypt then and, oh, hadn’t that rumi been divine! Where had he been before that? He’d been eating kochkäse, hadn’t he? Yes he had. “I’ve got it! Germany, 300 years ago. That was Christmas. I’m sure of it. Hans stopped making cheese because of the festival,” Plagg rolled his eyes and scoffed. “What a stupid rule. No cheese. Trust me kid, I’ve had better festivals.”

“Plagg… oh my god, Plagg, you’ve never had a real Christmas before! This is a disaster! We have to change that _right now_!”

“You mean it’s changed since then?” Plagg sighed. Was he ever going to be able to eat his cheese in peace?

“You have no idea!”

“I doubt I’ll like this new version.”

“Oh, just you wait. I’m going to prove to you how amazing a modern Christmas can be!”

The telltale sounds of explosions and screaming suddenly erupted from the streets outside and Plagg quickly gulped his cheese while he still had the chance. So much for savouring it. “I guess that’ll have to wait of course. Along with my lunch!”

“ _Claws out_!”


	2. A King Was Born Today

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So... exactly which holiday is Christmas again?

Tikki could tell that Marinette wanted to talk to her about something important the second they got back from the akuma fight. She got this nervous sort of look whenever she was going to bring up a potentially delicate topic or was worried about offending or upsetting someone. Not that she could possibly be upset or offended by anything Marinette could ask her. Tikki knew from experience that the best thing to do was to just wait for Marinette to bring it up in her own time.

As it happened, it only took until breakfast for her to ask.

Over their breakfast of croissants and fruit (for Marinette) and cookies (for Tikki) Marinette gradually brought the conversation round to what it was she really wanted to ask.

“So… Chat Noir told me something interesting last night.”

The cookie froze halfway to Tikki’s mouth. “Oh?” she wondered, praying that it had nothing to do with their identities. She didn’t want to have to give Marinette the superhero talk again.

“Apparently, his kwami doesn’t know what next month is. Do you?”

“It’s December, isn’t it?” Tikki took a bite of her cookie and thought. This was November, which means that the next month was December right? Unless it wasn’t. She groaned. “Oh please don’t tell me you’ve changed the calendar again. I was confused for _years_ the last time you did that.”

“Uh, no? No, we’ve not changed it. I was talking about Christmas.”

Tikki nodded and took another bite of cookie while her mind frantically scrambled to pull up the information she needed. Christmas? Christmas? Which one was that again? Christmas… Christ… Christian religion… Christ-mass… the celebration of their Christ. Was it his death? No, no, this one was his birth!

She licked the cookie crumbs from her face and nodded. “That’s the Christian mid-winter festival, right? The one that celebrates the birth of your god-king?” Tikki was certain she was right but the shock on Marinette's face was making her doubt her logic. It was definitely the birth, but maybe it wasn't Christ? There were three of them, right? A trinity? A triple god? “Umm... is it one of the other parts of your triple-god?”

Marinette blinked and shook her head. "I don't believe it, Chat was right… Tikki have you _ever_ celebrated a Christmas before?"

“I think so? You humans have got so many religious festivals it’s quite easy to get them mixed up. Let’s see now…”

Tikki cast her mind back over the centuries, those brief bouts of wakefulness when she was paired with a human between her long slumbers in the miraculous. Before this she had been with Piáo chóng in China for a few years, and before her it had been Laal jagah in India, before her Alduesuqa in Egypt, and about a hundred or so years before that she was with Rotkäppchen in Germany. That had only been for a few months but she seemed to recall Hilde attending a special service for Christmas.

Who else had been Christian? Eulalia had, and Maeve, and of course her poor Jeanne was Christian. Only four? That sounded about right. Had she celebrated with all of them? Maybe. It was hard to remember all the different festivals she had been to with all of her bugs over the years, especially when she was only with some of them for weeks or months.

“I think I’ve had three Christmases before. Four at most. Why?”

“Only four Christmases?”

“Yes.” Tikki nodded and then floated over to land on Marinette’s knee. She was concerned by how surprised that Marinette was at Tikki’s lack of experience with Christmas. Was she worried about Tikki not participating in the festival correctly? “Are we celebrating Marinette? I didn’t think you regularly went to a temple. Church. I mean church.”

Marinette shook her head and finally smiled down at her kwami. “Christmas has changed since you celebrated it last Tikki. _A lot_! For one thing it isn’t really about religion anymore - unless you’re from a devout family. It’s more along the lines of a national holiday.”

“Like this New Year party you’ve mentioned?”

“Yes. But don’t worry Tikki, I am going to show you exactly what a 21st century Christmas is - and I know just where to start!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just used google translate to get the names of the different heroes Tikki mentions - Piáo chóng (ladybird), Laal jagah (red spot), Alduesuqa (ladybird) - so please do correct me if it isn't right. Rotkäppchen is the German name for Little Red Riding Hood
> 
> Just a reminder that I have not seen all of season 2 or season 3 of Miraculous Ladybug, so please do not spoil it for me. 2020 has taken many things from me but I will not let it take this from me.


	3. Don We Now Our Gay Apparel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Plagg discovers that wearing Christmas outfits can actually be a fun thing.

So far, Adrien’s mission to show Plagg the perfect modern Christmas was off to a terrible start. 

They’d done nothing different to the things he usually did - school, sports, extra lessons, fittings, stylist consultations - and Plagg was once more hidden away in Adrien’s bag while he watched yet another tailor examine the suit was modeling. The _fifth_ suit today.

He let out a loud and long suffering sigh once the tailor had left and they were alone in Adrien’s dressing room, doing his best to convey just how bored he was. “Y’know, kid, they dressed up for their festivals way back when too. This isn’t anything special.”

“This isn’t anything special to me either, Plagg. This is just what my father wants me to do. To him, Christmas means galas and networking and showing me off to the world.”

Plagg rolled his eyes where Adrien couldn’t see him. Gee, Gabriel didn’t celebrate, colour Plagg shocked. “So how is that different to normal then?”

“I’m in a fancier suit for starters-” Adrien spread his arms wide and twirled, showing off his outfit, but quite honestly Plagg couldn’t see the difference. It was a black three-piece suit, just like the other _seven_ hanging in his wardrobe back home. The tie was red, which was slightly different, but everything else was the same. “-and I’ll be doing a load more events than I normally do.”

“More? But your events are _so stupid_!” Plagg groaned and buried his head in the blue scarf Adrien had slipped into his bag earlier as a kwami bed. The scarf Plagg was forbidden from damaging or destroying unless he wanted nothing but American aerosol cheese for the rest of his time in Paris.

“You’re only saying that because I can’t let you have cheese in my pockets.”

“Exactly! _Stupid_! You’re really not selling this Christmas thing to me, you know?”

“Maybe _this_ will change your mind?”

Plagg peeked out of the bag again and watched Adrien open his phone and search for something. He had a triumphant smile on his face when he found it and turned the screen around to show the only mildly curious kwami… and Plagg promptly burst into hysterical laughter when the hideous image on screen was revealed.

“What… what in the… what in the name of cheese is _that_!” he wheezed out between giggles.

“Isn’t it _paw-some_?”

“It’s something alright!”

The screen showed a garish lime green jumper, the sleeves of which were decorated with blobs of colour that looked like the strings of fairy lights Plagg had seen around the town, and white and red hooks that were apparently called candy canes, while the hems were decorated with snowflakes and things the Plagg felt unnaturally generous describing as ‘reindeer’... but it was the main picture on the jumper that had him gasping with laughter. Set in front of a Christmas tree that was somehow an even brighter green than the jumper it was on, was the grumpiest and most disgruntled cat that Plagg had ever seen, wearing a red and white fur hat, and a speech bubble proclaiming Meow-y Christmas!

This would keep him laughing for weeks!

“Meow-y Christmas?” Plagg giggled at the words and wiped a tear from his eye. “Seriously? That is so you, kid.”

“Really? Thanks!”

His obvious delight at hearing that just made Plagg laugh even more. The poor naïve kid.

Adrien was oblivious to Plagg’s gentle teasing though, and staring at his phone screen in ecstatic joy. “This is the year, Plagg. This is the year I am finally getting my terrible Christas jumper without Nathalie confiscating it.”

“Terrible Christmas… wait! This is actually a real thing? People do this for Christmas?”

“Sure. See?”

Adrien swiped to a different page on his screen and showed Plagg fashion disaster after fashion disaster. Some were relatively tame and had gone for a cutesy look, like ice skating snowmen and skiing penguins; some threw every colour into existence onto one small garment and turned it into a kaleidoscope of garishness; some had actual fairy lights in the jumper itself like the idiots wearing them were trying to camouflage themselves as a Christmas tree… and the list went on. Adrien even had some photos of his friends in their jumpers and Plagg just knew that he would be laughing about this for years to come.

“You know, there might actually be something to this holiday after all,” Plagg giggled. “It can’t be all that bad if people make themselves look _that_ ridiculous! Oh I can’t wait to see the tacky and gaudy delights for myself.”

Adrien groaned. “That’s not what I meant when I said Christmas was a time of joy, Plagg!”

“But it’s what I’m taking it as!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm posting this as I wear my own Christmas jumper. I think I might actually have enough to wear one a day until Christmas. Yay! No Meow-y Christmas one, sadly, but I do have a skiing penguin.
> 
> Just a reminder that I have not seen all of season 2 or season 3 of Miraculous Ladybug, so please do not spoil it for me. 2020 has taken many things from me but I will not let it take this from me.


	4. Deck The Halls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tikki discovers the joys of decorating for Christmas.

“They decorated the last time I had a Christmas too,” Tikki mused as she helped Marinette unpack what the box said was a tree but was like no tree she had ever seen before. “Only they had real branches and boughs. Not… whatever _this_ is.”

“It’s an artificial pine tree. It might not be a real one but there are some advantages to having an artificial tree in your home.” Marinette finally wrenched all of the pieces out of the box and set them to one side, next to a small pile of boxes that said ‘decs big tree’ - which confused Tikki more than it explained what was inside. Marinette waved a hand over the bits they had just unpacked. “This is the large one for the living room that mama, baba, and I decorate together when they finish work, and _this_ -” she grabbed a much smaller box “-is the one for _my_ room. Why don’t we decorate it and you can see for yourself huh?”

Tikki liked helping Marinette out, and learning about life in modern Paris, so she nodded and followed Marinette up into her room ready to begin. Privately though she didn’t think that imitation trees would look, or feel, or smell anywhere near as beautiful as a real tree.

One hour later and she was ready to eat her words. Sure, an artificial tree lacked the strong scent of a real one and the wonderful feel of the pine needles, but that didn’t matter.

The room was _beautiful_!

The small tree was set up near Marinette’s chaise and decked in garlands of tinsel - _tinsel_ , such a wonderful invention, so bright and sparkly - and beautiful gold and silver beads, and baubles - and _oh_ weren’t they just gorgeous things - and two strings of brightly coloured fairy lights.

The lights were Tikki’s new favourite thing ever. Such pretty colours and such a gentle glow, they really did look like little fairies hiding in the tree branches. It was just magical.

“So what do you think?” Marinette asked, admiring the room with pride even as she gave Tikki a knowing grin.

Tikki didn’t care. She was more than willing to admit she was wrong and that there was something special about Christmas. Something she couldn’t wait to explore.

“I think I’m really going to like your version of Christmas.”

Marinette giggled with her and turned to sort the empty boxes out, while Tikki took the chance to fly into the tree and admire the glow of the lights and how they glistened on the baubles. So pretty!

“When you’ve finished in there, we can go out and buy a wreath. There’s a shop selling real pine wreaths and I’m going to get one for my room.”

Tikki zipped out of the tree, quivering with excitement, and flew right up to Marinette’s face. “We can get more decorations? Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It is nearly 11pm here in the UK as I post this. Far later than when I have been posting so apologies to those of you who were waiting.
> 
> Why so late in the day, you may ask. I'll tell you why. 
> 
> My darling sproglet knocked the wifi out today. 
> 
> He knocked the router plug slightly out of the socket this morning, enough to make the router act broken but not enough to look like there was an issue with the plug. Hence why it took _all bloody day_ to discover what was wrong.
> 
> I'm posting this and going to bed because I am an old woman and I need my sleep! To everyone who commented, thank you for reading and I shall reply to your kind words tomorrow when I'm not quite so exhausted. Good night all!
> 
> Usual reminder that I have not seen all of season 2 or season 3 of Miraculous Ladybug, so please do not spoil it for me.


	5. Yuletide Carol

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Festive sounds and songs are everywhere at this time of year.

Plagg had been napping his way through another stylist consultation and fitting when the faintest of noises reached his ears.

It wasn’t the stylist or the tailor puttering around the room, scribbling notes, pinning and cutting fabrics. It wasn’t Adrien who was his usual calm and stoic self while there were people dressing him. It wasn’t the secretary either as she tapped away on her tablet and ordered people around on the phone.

It wasn’t anyone in the room, and none of the various electronics and machines in the room made noises like that. So what was it?

Plagg waited until Natahlie directed everyone out of Adrien’s dressing room, allowing the model a fifteen minute break before the next fitting, then wriggled out of his scarf nest and zipped out of the bag.

“What’s that noise?”

“What?”

“That noise. What is it?” he darted over to the window wall and listened. There it was! “That one!”

Adrien walked over to the windows and listened intently, frowning as he did. He nudged the window open slightly and the sound became much clearer and distinct. It was a melody. “Do you mean the carol singers next door?”

“If you want to call _that_ singing, then sure. What’s a carol?”

“It’s a special Christmas song. Like the ones I was singing.”

Plagg could clearly recall Adrien’s attempt to shatter all the glass in Paris and he grimaced. “So they’re meant to be awful? Urgh.” If a modern Christmas was about shrill shrieks then you could definitely count him out.

“They’re not awful. They’re sweet and full of festive happiness and hope and love.”

“You’re putting me off my cheese here.” Plagg winced as the singing grew a little louder, then hummed thoughtfully as the melody and lyrics became clearer. They started with a soloist, before two more joined in, then the rest of the chorus, and they were indeed singing about joy and good feelings and happiness. “Actually, that soloist isn’t half bad, but the chorus really lets her down. Why would she sing with such losers?”

“People carol sing because they like the songs, because they like Christmas and want to spread joy around, and to raise money for charities.”

“For money? _That_ I can understand. They’d get more money if they sang about cheese. And if they didn’t sound so bad.”

“Don’t be rude!”

Plagg just shrugged. “I’m calling it like I hear it. You’ve got two good singers, three tops, but the rest…” he grimaced.

Adrien sighed and grabbed his phone and his earphones from his bag, tapping away at it. “Here-” he passed Plagg the phone, and pushed him back into the scarf nest “-these are my favourite carols and songs. Have a listen and see what you think. If you like them I’ll see about getting you a more inclusive playlist to listen to,” Adrien sighed and tucked his scarf around Plagg and the phone, keeping him warm and out of sight, before reaching for the zip. “Maybe that will keep you out of trouble for a while.”

Plagg just grinned as the zip closed above him. “How long have you known me kid?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My usual reminder that I have not seen all of season 2 or season 3 of Miraculous Ladybug, so please do not spoil it for me. Another late chapter after another eventful day with the sproglet (Christmas baking, why did I decide to have him help, why??) and another can-barely-keep-my-eyes-open night. I’ll reply to your comments later, right now my bed is calling. Goodnight all.


	6. Friends Are Calling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Christmas is a time to call on friends and loved ones. With Marinette being as creative as she is, Tikki has noticed a crafty twist to the times Marinette’s friends come calling.

Marinette’s dining table was a riot of colours and glitter and paints and cards and Tikki was in her element! This was so much fun!

She had seen piles of brightly coloured Christmas cards when Marinette had taken her decoration shopping. They had bought some, but Marinette admitted she always made her own cards for her family and closest friends. Her theme this year was Christmas in Paris. They were gorgeous creations of fabric and wool and glitter and ribbons and sparkles and Tikki was adoring every second she was allowed to help Marinette out.

Adrien’s card had been made first, _naturally_ , and Tikki watched as Marinette assembled the pieces and carefully put them together. She had used satin and metallic ribbons to construct a miniature Eiffel tower, a small cotton swatch for a moon, and surrounded them with elegant calligraphy and snowflakes. She’d heard him say how much he liked the tower and the view of the city from the top and so she just had to make that for him.

A few of her other friends got city monuments too, but a good chunk of cards were also dedicated to the superheroes. Both Ladybugs found it amusing that Marinette’s friends were going to receive heroic Christmas cards made by the heroine herself. 

Tikki carefully brushed the last bit of glitter paint onto one of the hero cards and set her brush down again. “This one is for Alya, right?”

“Yep!”

This card had a 3D effect, with a crochet snowflake set in its centre, topped with a hand sewn cotton circle designed to look like Ladybug’s yoyo, save for the centre dot which was a Chat Noir pawprint. The glitter paint that Tikki had just applied surrounded the snowflake and gave the pale blue card an icy look. Alya was going to adore it!

Marinette grinned and gently scooped the card up. “I’ll put this with the others to dry,” she said and carried it over to the small coffee table which they were using as their drying station. It was filled with cards in various stages of completion and there was only just enough room for Alya’s card to squeeze on. “Do you think it would be too much if I got Ladybug to autograph it?”

Tikki giggled and shook her head. “It wouldn’t be too much, no… but would you _really_ want to deal with her hounding you for answers about how you got it?”

Marinetet winced, remembering how Alya had been after Marinette had arranged for her to have an exclusive Ladybug interview. “I did _not_ think of that. Okay, no Ladybug autograph. Her card is done then and when it’s dry it can go it the ‘finished’ pile with mama and baba’s and-”

A sharp knock at the door interrupted them and Marinette urged Tikki to hide in her little bag as she crossed the room to open it. Tikki was wondering which friend of Marinette’s it would be this time. It seemed like the whole class had been through here today. Twice! Excluding Chloé obviously. There was no way the blonde would come to Marinette’s home, and that was just how Tikki and Marinette preferred it.

“Rose! Hello!”

“Hi Marinette! I’ve got your Christmas delivery!”

Tikki could hear the rustling of bags and Marinette’s delighted gasp. “Oh, they’re gorgeous! You’ve outdone yourself this year! I’ve got your order here too.” More rustling and a delighted squeal from Rose. “Handmade scarves for the whole family!”

“These are perfect! Thanks Marinette, I’ll see you in school tomorrow!”

“Bye Rose!”

Tikki waited until Marinete had closed the door and given the all clear before rushing out of her tiny bag to the large brown paper bag in Marinette’s arms. “What did she give you?”

“Rose’s handmade wrapping paper! Look!”

She opened the bag and showed Tikki the rolls of paper inside and Tikki gasped in delight. They really were gorgeous. One looked like gold marble, one was full of frosted and glittery snowflakes, one was stamped with very realistic drawings of holly, and all of them were stunningly beautiful.

“Marinette they’re gorgeous!”

“Aren’t they just? No one can do wrapping paper like Rose can. I usually buy a roll or two but this year we did a trade. I think I’ll ask for her reusable cloth wrapping next year - you should see it Tikki, it’s just as-”

Another knock on the door and Tikki giggled at the interruption as she hid away again. Christmas was indeed the time of friends.

“Ivan! Hi!”

“Hey Marinette. I’m here for the cards, if they’re done?”

“I just finished packing them actually, wait here a second.”

Tikki could hear Marinette grabbing the stack of cards they had set to one side about twenty minutes ago. They had sewn crochet appliques to the front of the card, and lined the insides with a bright Christmas red paper. Tikki wondered which one of Marinette’s friends they were for, but she would never have guessed they were for the soft-spoken Ivan.

“Here you are. Twenty unique designs, just for you.”

“Awesome!” there was the rustling of paper. “Here’s what I owe you for them. See you tomorrow!”

“Bye!” Marinette closed the door, but then gasped and yanked it open again without giving Tikki the all clear. “Ivan, wait! This is triple what I asked for!”

A soft chuckle floated up the stairs. “It’s what they’re worth and I won’t take it back! Bye!”

Marinette sighed as she closed the door and Tikki giggled even as she snuck back out of Marinette’s bag. “That was really sweet of Ivan to do that for you. Your cards are beautiful and worth every penny. Now, shall we get back to the cards before we’re interrupted again?”

“I think Kim is the only one left to pick up his order - I sewed some laptop and tablet cases for him to give to Max - but I’m not sure he remembered he’s supposed to pick them up today,” Marinette laughed. “If he has, there’s no telling when he’ll show up!”

“Your friends are really fun, Marinette.”

“I know. Now, let’s finish those cards.”

“I’ve finished mine!”

Tikki floated over to the table and picked out the card she had made herself. It had been surprisingly easy to make a card for Marinette right under the designers nose as she had been so preoccupied with her other cards and orders.

She had used a felt Christmas tree and added sequins and miniature pompoms for the baubles, ribbon for the tinsel, and glitter for the shimmering lights. She had used Marinette’s gold pen to write ‘Merry Christmas’ inside. It was an adorable work of art in Tikki’s opinion.

Marinette evidently thought so too and gasped in delight as she read the card. “Tikki, I love it! Thank you!”

She held her arms open and Tikki flew straight into them, delighted to have made Marinette happy with her first ever attempt at a Christmas gift. She really did like what she was learning about how Christmas was celebrated now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I let the sproglet into the kitchen again. Why? Why did I not learn my lesson yesterday? Also, while it’s in my mind, support small businesses if you can this Christmas. I’ll sign off tonight with my usual reminder that I have not seen all of season 2 or season 3 of Miraculous Ladybug, so please do not spoil it for me.


	7. Driving Home For Christmas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Top to toe in tailbacks. Red lights on the run. Plagg really isn’t seeing the good in Christmas just yet.

Plagg could privately, quietly, in the depths of his mind, maybe admit that there was actually something to this Christmas thing that Adrien wanted him to experience.

The clothes thing was so-so - the jumper had been absolutely hysterical, but the only good things about the fancier than normal suits Adrien wore was the fancier than normal parties he wore them to. They had served five different varieties of cheese at the last one, so the party couldn’t have been all that bad. Plagg was a cat, and in spite of his lazy demeanour he understood about grooming and appearances and looking good, so he could understand the humans wanting to dress up to have a good time. Just not in the way Gabriel Agreste demanded.

Music was something that Plagg understood too. Again, as a cat, he had a marvellous singing voice. He knew there were just sometimes you had to sing to convey your emotions. The carol choir from the other day had been sort of alright, but the rest of the music he had listened to had been wonderful. Plagg was now impatiently awaiting the new Christmas playlist he has asked - _nagged_ \- Adrien to get from Nino.

So he could understand those two things, and maybe admit that this Christmas thing wasn’t so bad, if it wasn’t for what they were currently enduring.

Stuck alone in the back of a limo, Gorilla ensconced in the driver’s seat behind the closed divider, barely moving in the Parisian traffic, for twenty whole minutes. He’d left a chunk of camembert to come to room temperature before they’d left to go to the lesson Adrien had just finished, if they were stuck in the traffic any longer it would be warm, practically melted, and utterly _ruined_! He would still eat it, of course, but it was the principal of the thing!

Plagg stuck his head out of Adrien’s bag and sighed. “I still don’t see why this _Christmas_ is such a big thing, kid. Bad fashion, screeching dressed up as singing, and now this!”

“Traffic jams are _not_ part of Christmas! They happen all year round.”

“ _Oh, really_?”

With the perfect timing of the universe trying to prove a point, the radio station they had been half-listening to as they waited to get home switched to the traffic report.

_… Traffic is heavier than usual throughout the city with people flocking to the big Christmas sales, travelling to see friends and family, and of course the extra tourism that comes in at this time of year, so if you’re on the roads…_

Adrien turned it off with a huff and slouched down in his seat. “Okay, okay, so there _might_ be slightly more cars on the road than normal. Traffic jams aren’t part of Christmas though, only the reason behind them.”

“Christmas is part of Christmas? Yeah. I got that.”

“ _No_!”

Adrien huffed again and stared out of the window. He didn’t appear to be looking at the lights and crowds so much as staring off into space and Plagg knew he needed to tread carefully in this conversation. It was rare for him to be this morose without his parents being involved somehow. Plagg jumped from the bag to curl up in Adrien’s gloved hands, oh so much warmer than his bag, and settled into a light doze until Adrien was ready to speak again.

It didn’t take long. “People are visiting friends and family because that’s what Christmas means! Being happy _together_ with those you love. They’re shopping to buy gifts to make those people _happy_ , to see the joy on their faces when they open their present, to know that they’ve _made_ them happy.”

And there was that wistful tone that Plagg knew meant Adrien was thinking of the past and happier times. When he still had his mother, and his father was present in his life. When he would have had the Christmasses of happiness and joy and togetherness that he was teaching Plagg about. Now, he only really had his friends, and without them Adrien was in for a pretty poor Christmas spent locked in his mansion if Gabriel had his way.

It was just a good thing that Plagg never followed the rules then, wasn’t it?

“So you humans really go through all this _inconvenience_ for happiness?”

Adrien rolled his eyes at Plagg’s dramatics, as predicted. “Just look at their faces. Do any of them look inconvenienced or unhappy?”

Plagg slowly uncurled and stretched out, shaking the sleep off, before darting up Adrien’s jacket sleeve and running up his arm to his collar just to make him squirm and giggle. He made sure to _accidentally_ catch Adrien’s neck with his tail as he adjusted the collar and Adrien’s blue scarf so he could peek out while still remaining hidden. It was funny to watch Adrien try and stifle his wriggling and giggling so as not to draw attention to Plagg - it also meant the kid wasn’t so melancholy anymore.

He peeked out of the tinted windows at the people in the street. They were dashing about with purpose, rushing to and fro, arms laden with bags and rolls of paper, in ones and twos and threes and more. Not a single one of them had a frown on their faces. Not even when people bumped into them or their bags split or any other minor inconvenience happened to them. They just shrugged it off and carried on smiling.

Even the people in the cars next to them. They were just the same as Adrien and Plagg, stuck in traffic that was barely moving, unable to continue on to their destination like the pedestrian shoppers were. But even they didn’t look sad. They were focussed intently on the road ahead, but they weren’t down or sad.

Maybe there really was something to this Christmas thing after all? If it could make people smile through inconveniences and annoyances, simply because they were looking forward to being with friends and family on the day itself, then it was probably a pretty good thing indeed.

Not that he would admit that to Adrien just yet of course.

Plagg sniffed and wriggled further into the scarf. “You humans get joy from companionship and giving? How very un-cat like.” He yawned and snuggled deeper into the exceedingly comfortable scarf, already feeling drowsy again. “I don’t think I’ll ever understand this wacky festival of yours kid.”

“If you say so.” Adrien smirked where Plagg couldn’t see him, just listening to his kwami purr himself to sleep. Plagg hid his heart of gold under a sassy and self-centred attitude, but Adrien knew his kwami.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the sproglet has come down with a cold. Yay! He’s still going into school tomorrow, and for the rest of the week with a bit of luck, but I’m here praying that he doesn’t develop a cough because the absolute last thing we need is to have another isolation. I hope you all had better weekends. Finally, my usual reminder that I have not seen all of season 2 or season 3 of Miraculous Ladybug, so please do not spoil it for me.


	8. I'm Watching Them Shine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tikki can’t help but reminisce about her previous Christmases as she admires the beautiful and bright Christmas lights on the tree.

Tikki was happy.

It was a rare moment of peace in this hectic holiday time - no friends on the phone or in the room, no shift in the bakery, no school, no homework, and, blessedly, no akumas. It was a little oasis of tranquility to just breathe and enjoy the moment.

Marinette was curled up on her chaise with her earphones in, doodling in her sketchbook. It was the relaxed scribbling of her trying out new things and not the frenzied scratchings of a burst of inspiration. It was a peaceful soundtrack for Tikki’s exploration of the room.

She floated to and fro around the room, looking at strings of paper chains, sparkly snowflakes, and a beautiful real pine wreath at the window. Everywhere was bright and warm and pretty. It was everything that Tikki liked.

The tree was her favourite and her wanderings around the room soon led her to it. She floated amongst the tiny branches just admiring it. It might not be a real tree, but it was still beautiful. The branches were tipped with icicles and frosty snow, and garlands of beads and bright fairy light wound around every bough. The lights gleamed and shimmered and bathed the whole tree in a soft glow, like standing under the majestic stained glass windows in church. It was beautiful. It was magical!

She couldn’t help but marvel at the wonders before her. Her last Christmas had been centuries ago, too long to remember perfectly, but it hadn’t been anything as beautiful and energetic as the Christmas Marinette was showing her.

She had been with Hilde back then, her sweet little Rotkäppchen, on the edge of the Schwartzwald trying to reclaim yet another miraculous that had fallen into the wrong hands. It had been a beautiful setting for a Christmas celebration. Real pine and fir trees, snow for weeks, brights reds and greens in homes. It was the scenery that Tikki saw on modern Christmas cards.

Hilde had been a sweet young woman, right on the verge of her marriage to Hans, when Tikki had met her. They’d gone through the usual few awkward weeks of getting to know each other, Tikki orienting to the time and place she was in, and Hilde getting used to her powers, but after that it had been smooth sailing. Hilde and Hans had got married, both confessing to their double life on their wedding night, and continued fighting the rogue miraculous user as they settled into domestic bliss. It had been a happy time for both of them, and for Tikki and Plagg.

They’d had their miraculous for just less than a year when they caught the rogue miraculous - a minor lord in the region. It had been a bittersweet goodbye. Tikki and Plagg had lingered for a few weeks while they ensured that things were back to normal and in that time Hilde and Hans had decided to start their family and Hilde had quickly fallen pregnant. Tikki often wondered how Hilde’s pregnancy had gone, whether she’d had a boy or a girl, one child or twins, how she and Hans coped with a baby, and how their lives had gone after the birth. It was hard but necessary to say goodbye but Tikki never forgot any of her bugs and remembered them fondly.

It was easy to remember Hilde right now. They’d defeated their enemy just before Christmas and Tikki and Plagg had stayed with their partners over the festive period. It was a lot more religious than the Christmas Marinette was showing her - religion was just a normal part of everyday life back then, just like daily meals and work, whereas religion was something you chose to take an active role in today, like the midnight Christmas service Marinette and her parents sometimes went to.

There were lots of similarities still though. People had dressed up in fine clothes and special outfits, there had been sweet treats and feasting to celebrate, and there had been the sense of togetherness. They had also decorated with ribbons and pine cones and boughs from trees. Anything they had at hand to bring some colour to their homes. And lights had been everywhere, from gentle candlelight to warm firelight, and beautiful and cool starlight and moonlight. It had always been beautiful.

But the beauty around her now, the beauty of the modern Christmas, had all been designed just for this day.

The artificial trees, the beautiful lights, the touches of snow and frost, ribbons of tinsel, strings of bright beads, miles and miles of bright fairy lights, and the _baubles_!

They were undoubtedly Tikki’s favourite decorations. They reflected so much light and were so prettily patterned - from the sole glass one on Marinette’s tree, passed down from her great-grandmother, to the bright gold and silver plastic ones, to the gorgeous crochet one that Marinette had made just for this tree for this Christmas. Tikki had even helped with a few stitches on the bauble before the hook became too unwieldy for her to use. It had been fun though, and Marinette was going to look into getting something more suitable for a kwami to use so they could carry on making their own decorations.

Tikki flew to one of the innermost branches and lay down, staring up at the lights above her. This was definitely her favourite of all the Christmases she had celebrated.

“I think I’m really going to like this Christmas.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is dedicated to saiikavon for being my 400th commenter on AO3, who wanted to see Tikki reminiscing about a past holder. I hope you like it! Also, has anyone guessed which songs the chapter titles come from? No googling! My usual reminder that I have not seen all of season 2 or season 3 of Miraculous Ladybug, so please do not spoil it for me.


	9. The Treetops Glisten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The treetops might be glistening but who said that was a good thing?

Adrien was ecstatic!

Nathalie had scheduled him in for an extra long piano rehearsal that afternoon, and no amount of begging, cajoling, pleading, pulling at her heartstrings, or bribery had persuaded her to allow him just a little bit of his rehearsal time to spend with his friends. She had been abundantly clear. His schedule said he must practice his piano, so that is exactly what Adrien was to do.

Luckily, _Chat Noir_ had no such schedule to tie him down. A stash of camembert and a few whispered words was all it took to get Adrien out of the house, and sat on a park bench waiting for his friends to show up.

Nothing could ruin his good mood.

“Is this supposed to sound like a dirge?”

Nothing save a recalcitrant kwami, that is.

“What?”

“A funeral song.”

Adrien bit back a sigh and looked down to see Plagg looking out of his bag, a moody and mulish look on his face, holding up the music player so Adrien could see what he was listening to. _I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas_.

“It’s not a funeral song. It's nostalgia! He’s remembering happy times from the past-”

“He’s _mourning_ the past!”

“-and hoping that everyone can have Christmases as good as his were!” Adrien had lots of experience in ignoring Plagg’s outbursts and continuing with what he was saying, but that didn’t stop the little so and so from being annoying.

Plagg pulled a face. “Stupid.”

“What’s the matter with you Plagg? You’ve been grumpy and ill tempered for days now - more so that usual.”

“It’s that!”

Adrien looked in the direction that Plagg hissed and saw… nothing. It was just a random corner of the park. There were no people or animals there, no akuma (thank goodness), nothing out of place at all. It was just a small copse of trees with bare branches and frosted bark.

“...the trees?”

“The frost!”

“I thought cats didn’t mind the cold?”

Plagg scoffed. “Us cats know better than to sit on a _freezing cold park bench_ in weather like this!” He hissed up at the overcast sky like it had personally offended him and Adrien tried not to roll his eyes. “Whose idea was it to put this Christmas thing in the middle of winter anyway?”

Don’t roll your eyes. Don’t roll your eyes. Don’t roll your eyes! Adrien took a breath and mentally counted to ten before answering. “ _You_ were the one goading me to sneak out, so don’t go complaining now. Nino said he’d be here as soon as he’d been to Marinettte’s to get her and Alya, and bring us all some snacks.”

“And why can’t _you_ can’t go to _them_?”

“Because Nathalie will send Gorilla to all my friends’ homes looking for me if she notices I’m missing. You’ve got my scarf in there to keep you warm, not to mention a mountain of camembert, and it isn’t all that cold right now. Not like it will be in January.”

“Urgh, pass!” Plagg hissed and threw himself back into Adrien’s bag in a manner that the model privately thought was a tad too dramatic. “My only consolation is that Tikki is suffering with me.”

“Tikki? You mean Ladybug’s kwami?”

“Bugs hate the cold more than cats do. She won’t be a happy little bug right now.”

“And her being cold makes you happy?”

“Misery loves company.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The sproglet’s cold is getting worse (still no cough thank goodness) and he has given it to me and the hubby as an early Christmas gift. Isn’t that sweet of him? I’m getting a hot cuppa and a hot water bottle after posting this and heading straight to bed. But first, a quick reminder that I have not seen all of season 2 or season 3 of Miraculous Ladybug, so please do not spoil it for me.


	10. Laughing All The Way

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cold weather and bugs do not mix. Or do they?

“This is so much fun!”

Marinette laughed at Tikki’s excited squeal as they zipped around the ice rink. They were both red cheeked from the chill and breathless from excitement and having the time of their lives.

She had never been this graceful on the ice before, though that implied her current skills were beautifully controlled (which they weren’t as she proved by immediately tripping over her own feet and hitting the ice with a shriek), so this was obviously one of the benefits that being Ladybug had brought into her life. She was still clumsy at times, but she was more comfortable in her own skin and more sure of herself, so naturally some of her heroic grace would transfer over.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, Tikki. Do you want to go again?”

“Can we get hot chocolate instead? Pretty please?”

“Of course!”

Marinette hopped off the ice rink and handed her skates back in, glad that her newfound grace helped her to do that without tripping over again. She just wished that her agility was the only thing that had transferred over from the miraculous. Why did she have to get cold susceptibility too? She couldn’t remember being this cold in winter before - and the worst weather was yet to come.

She bought two large hot chocolates from the kiosk and grabbed a straw on her way to the seating area. Marinette made sure to find the most secluded corner of the stadium she could and set one of the hot chocolates on the bench next to her, hidden behind her bag. Tikki immediately dove out of her coat, grabbed the straw, and started slurping her drink up as fast as she could.

Marinette giggled even as she took a long drink of her own hot chocolate, letting the drink warm her from within. “Tell me it won’t be this bad next year? Please?” Marinette groaned when Tikki’s answer was a sheepish grin. “Please don’t tell me I’m going to hibernate or anything silly like that.”

“Well, not hibernate exactly-” Tikki paused and wiped some whipped cream off her cheeks “-but we’ll both be getting sleepier in the colder weather. A little more sluggish too. But plenty of warmth will fix that, lots of blankets and hot chocolate, and snuggly jumpers and hot water bottles too - and the miraculous magic means you’ll barely notice it in a fight. It’ll all work out fine, trust me.”

Marinette was about to argue before she remembered going up against Stormy Weather. Paris had been one giant ice cube by the end of that fight, but while Marinette had been chilled to the bone before she transformed Ladybug had still been able to fight as normal. She’d put it down to the adrenaline of the fight, but miraculous magic was as good an explanation.

Still, it wasn’t fair that she would feel so cold for months on end! Marinette pouted and slouched down in her chair, finished her hot chocolate. “Chat had better have some side effect too.”

“Don’t worry, he does.”

“Really?”

“Yep!” Tikki grinned and brushed a bit of whipped cream off her nose. “But I think it will be more fun if you discover them for yourself!”

“Tikki!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you can see, Plagg didn’t need to be worried about Tikki at all. Not with hot chocolate readily available! Thank you to everyone for your get well soon wishes. I promise I’m fine and taking it easy. The hubby is fine and the sproglet is getting better. Writing this is fun for me, not taxing, but if I need to take a day off to rest and recover or tend to the sproglet then I will. Right now I’m typing this up with a hot cuppa and Christmas tunes on the radio so this is wonderful for me. I hope you’re all going into the weekend in happy moods too. Finally, my usual reminder that I have not seen all of season 2 or season 3 of Miraculous Ladybug, so please do not spoil it for me.


	11. All I Want For Christmas Is You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien has found the perfect gift for Plagg!

What was that noise?

Adrien frowned and pulled his earphones out. They were working just fine. No crackling, no interference, nothing like that. No, the noise appeared when his music fell silent as it changed from one song to the next, and it was coming from inside his room. He looked up from his homework and glanced around. There was no one here save for Plagg, none of the windows were open, nothing had fallen. None of his electronic devices were beeping.

What could it be?

If he didn’t know better, he’d say that someone was pranking him. There was no one in the house who would do that though. His father didn’t have a funny bone in his body, Nathalie might appreciate a joke every now and then but she was far too busy to do something like that, most of the staff had already left for the day, the chef was busy in the kitchen, and Plagg…

Adrien’s eyes narrowed. Plagg was _exactly_ the type to pull a prank like that. Making a noise then stopping whenever Adrien looked for the source was right up his alley. Damn cat. But he was using Adrien’s computer to look up some more information about Christmas… wasn’t he?

A surreptitious glance at his desk confirmed that Plagg was indeed bouncing and cartwheeling across the keyboard as he typed in various search terms to look up.

Well there was an easy way to prove this, wasn’t there?

A carefully executed yawn and stretch maneuver had him repositioned in such a way that he could easily see his computer out of the corner of his eye, a fake scratch to his neck had his hair concealing that fact that his earphones weren’t actually in his ears, and a few doodles of black cats and ladybirds in his book made it seem like he was writing again.

Plagg’s ear twitched and he went back to looking at Christmas pages.

Adrien doodled another cat.

Plagg wrestled the computer mouse across the mat to click something.

Adrien added a small ladybird on the cats nose. He could call that a kiss, right?

 _Bingo_!

Plagg had switched tabs to a site all about gourmet cheeses and was drooling over each piece, purring in delight.

 _That_ was the sound Adrien kept hearing. Plagg didn’t want to be caught drooling over cheese and so stopped every time Adrien tried to see what was making the noise. But he could never stay away from his stinky food for long.

He nearly laughed out loud when Plagg scrolled down the page and squealed in delight at seeing a gigantic _vieux boulogne_. The poor kwami was actually whimpering.

“ _Oh I don’t want a lot for Christmas, there is just one cheese I need, I don’t care about the others, down there in the chef’s pantry, I just want you for my own, more than you can ever know_ …”

Adrien was biting his cheeks so hard to keep from laughing, he wouldn’t be surprised if he drew blood! This was _priceless_! If only he could record it! Plagg was actually serenading the cheese!

He waited until he had control over himself once more before turning back to his homework. Plagg could carry on singing to the computer screen if he wanted, he had a pretty good voice actually, and now that Adrien knew what that noise was he wasn’t bothered by it. It was time to return to memorising dates and names for his history homework - and if he just happened to accidentally memorise some of the cheeses that were making his kwami squeal while he was working, well, that knowledge could also be put to good use.

Some gourmet cheeses were definitely a better gift idea than the one he had been considering - arranging a kwami date with Ladybug. Plagg had given his feelings away with his misery loves company comment the other day. Adrien had been selling Christmas to Plagg as a holiday about togetherness and love, completely overlooking the fact that Plagg was separated from his partner while Chat Noir and Ladybug didn’t know each other’s identities.

No wonder he was being grumpy about Christmas.

Still, nice as it would be to arrange some way for Plagg and Tikki to meet, it threw up all sorts of secrecy issues, not to mention how tricky it would be to arrange such a meeting with his ever changing schedule. He might still mention it to Ladybug the next time he saw her, but he now had a better present in mind for Plagg for Christmas.

But there was no way that Adrien was going to buy Plagg the world's smelliest cheese. No way. No _vieux boulogne_ in this house at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And its Friday at last! Only two weeks until the big day. Is everyone ready for Christmas yet? Reminder: I have not seen all of season 2 or season 3 of Miraculous Ladybug, so please do not spoil it for me.


	12. Eat, Drink, and Be Merry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There’s a class Christmas party going on and a mountain of sweet treats to tempt Tikki.

Okay, Tikki was ready to say that she officially _loved_ Christmas! How could she not when there was all of this amazing food?

Christmas pudding cookies, fruit cake, petit fours, chocolate buttons, candy canes, gingerbread houses and gingerbread men, the wondrous invention that was the sharing tub of chocolates that apparently didn't need to be shared… this was sheer _heaven_!

It was also _hell_!

Tikki had to watch from her hiding place as Marinette placed tray after tray of all of those mouth-wateringly delicious treats on her teacher’s desk, ready for the class party she had organised that afternoon. Mlle. Bustier had been all too happy to approve the small class gathering for the holidays when Marinette had admitted she was going to bring bakery treats for everyone.

There was a selection of savoury food too - sandwiches, mini quiches, gougères, and cheese straws - but Tikki wasn’t interested in them. She only had eyes for the mountains of sugary sweet treats.

Treats that Tikki could watch but not touch! It was just too cruel!

The bag suddenly shifted and Marinette held it up to the table. “Okay Tikki, the coast is clear. Help yourself before the others get here!”

Tikki certainly didn’t need to be told twice. She zipped out of the bag and dashed from tray to tray, scooping up cookies and cakes and flinging them into Marinette’s bag before darting back inside herself. “Done!”

Marinette just laughed and Tikki couldn’t help but giggle along too. She had been a little silly, racing around the table as if she hadn’t eaten for days, and now she was sat here on her pile of sweet treats like a dragon on its hoard - or Plagg on a wheel of cheese. That image just made her laugh even more.

“Are you sure you’ll be alright in there for the whole party? I’ll keep my bag cracked open so you can see what’s going on, okay?”

“I’ll be fine Marinette. I’ve got these yummy treats, I’m not cold, and I’ll still be able to see and hear all the fun.”

“If you’re sure?”

“I am!”

Marinette closed the bag but left it slightly open by using the special catch she had added when Tikki had started using it to hide. It wasn’t noticeable unless you knew what you were looking for and this way Tikki could open and close the bag whenever she wanted, peek out without anyone seeing her, get some fresh air, and not have to hide in the dark.

Tikki loved it. Now that she had a mini mountain of snacks, it felt almost like she was watching reality TV.

Alya was the first to arrive and coo and awe over the food, photographing everything as she went as she usually did, and then the rest of the girls walked in. They made small talk until the boys arrived and Kim immediately challenged Alix to an eating contest. Those two were hilarious!

Thankfully Mlle. Bustier was the next to arrive and she quickly put an end to all food based challenges.

When Nino arrived with Adrien Tikki swore she could feel Marinette’s heart racing as she fought not to swoon over the model. She made it through the conversation without fainting or muddling up her words though, actually having a whole conversation with Adrien about the snacks she had brought, and Tikki couldn’t be prouder of her Ladybug!

Once everyone had arrived Marinette started moving around the room a bit more, chatting to her friends, posing for photos, and even being dragged into a dance by Alya when Nino set up an impromptu Christmas disco in their classroom. Tikki turned her attention to her snacks then, letting the conversation flow over her, but making sure to pay extra careful attention whenever they were near the snack table.

Like now.

Maybe Marinette would be able to sneak her some more cookies? She’d only grabbed five and now they were all gone. Ah. No, she couldn’t do that right now. Not with Adrien perusing the snack trays and...

Wait, why was Adrien hiding food in his bag? And why only the savoury treats? She knew he had a gigantic sweet tooth when it came to Dupain-Cheng recipes. Yet here he was sneaking cheesy treats into his bag without anyone noticing. It was odd. Quite out of character from what Tikki had observed of Marinette’s crush.

There could only be one explanation.

He must be on one of those model diets that she had seen featured in one of Marinette’s magazines. Obviously it was a silly thing to do at Christmas so he was sneaking food away to eat later, without letting anyone know he was cheating on his diet.

Tikki didn’t blame him. Not when the food was this good. It might also give Marinette a golden opportunity to speak to him. She’d have to tell her about Adrien’s preferences the next time there was a lull in the party.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh Tikki, Tikki, Tikki. So close and yet so very far. Better luck next time. My usual reminder that I have not seen all of season 2 or season 3 of Miraculous Ladybug, so please do not spoil it for me.


	13. Dreams Of You And Mistletoe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Plagg discovers the modern use for mistletoe.

When Plagg saw the first sprig of mistletoe in a Christmas wreath he didn’t think anything of it, save for laughing himself silly because humans in this time and place used a parasite to decorate for their most special festival. Beyond that it didn't mean anything to him. Greenery of any kind had always been used to decorate for winter festivals, and mistletoe was green.

It was only when he saw his second, third, tenth, twenty-fifth, thirty-seventh sprig of mistletoe that he realised there might just be some meaning to it after all. People seemed to be going out of their way to buy it. They even had artificial versions of it.

Several akumas, fashion events, and school days later, Plagg had forgotten all about the perplexing parasitical puzzle until Adrien returned home from school with a small bunch in his bag. That stirred Plagg's curiosity enough to finally look up the mistletoe phenomenon online.

_After_ his welcome home camembert, of course.

Adrien was at his desk, working on his homework, when Plagg finished savouring his meal and zipped through the wall into his hidden home. It didn't take him long to look up the mistletoe tradition and he did _not_ like what he was reading.

Kissing. _Kissing_?

Urgh, now there was a cheese-curdling notion if ever he heard one. The last thing he needed was to see humans start attacking each others’ faces whenever they were near the damn stuff. He could only assume the reason that Paris was carpeted with the stuff was because it was _the city of love_ and everyone living there was as romantically sappy as his kid.

Wait.

_Adrien_ was a romantic sap and _Adrien_ had mistletoe in his bag.

"Oh holy cheddar!"

Plagg phased through the wall and floated over to Adrien's desk where he was completely surprised to see his kid staring dreamily at the mistletoe and doodling black cats and ladybirds all over what should have been his homework. He'd know that ' _I-love-Ladybug_ ' expression anywhere.

He groaned and landed in Adrien's head. "You’re meant to be making me enjoy Christmas - not putting me off it for life!"

"What have I done _now_?"

"I can see your doodles. You’re planning on surprising Ladybug with mistletoe!" Plagg fake gagged and dodged Adrien's hand when he tried to pull him off his head. He jumped onto the desk and glared at the artificial leaves and berries. "I don't need to listen to you get any more lovesick."

"It’s a sweet tradition Plagg. That’s all." Adrien rolled his eyes then smirked. "But if you want me to be more lovesick then I’ll mmff-"

Plagg pounced and clamped Adrien's lips shut. Adrien shook his head to try and dislodge his kwami but Plagg held firm. Attempts to pull him off met with the same success and so Adrien settled for scowling.

Plagg stared straight back. "Don’t even joke."

Adrien huffed but nodded, agreeing to no more love sickness for the night. Outwardly anyway. Plagg gave him another long stare before letting go and zipping off to the cheese cupboard. 

Adrien rubbed the camembert crumbs off his lips and waited until Plagg was safely across the room before speaking. "Do you mean to say you wouldn’t want to catch _Tikki_ under the mistletoe?"

It was just a hunch of his, based purely on the way that he had heard Plagg speak about Tikki before, the oddly reverent tone in his voice that snuck in when he wasn't paying attention, but there was no way Adrien could have predicted the response his comment got.

Plagg froze in midair and, although it was extremely difficult to see on a black cat, Adrien _swore_ he could see the faintest hint of colour growing under all of that dark fur.

"Plagg… are you _blushing_?"

A hiss was his only answer and Adrien promptly fell off his chair in a fit of giggles.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The hidden home I mentioned is a nod to my other fic Plagg's Mansion. Plagg actually caught Tikki under the mistletoe in Chapter 16 of my fic All I Want For Christmas if you want to read it and see how that played out. 
> 
> This chapter is brought to you by the wonderful people in the NHS, as I was writing this on my phone in A&E while being seen for a head injury. One fainting spell plus one kitchen counter equals one bumped head and a trip to A&E. It was mostly written up so I edited it ready for posting as a way to distract myself from the hospital, but this is going to be the last chapter for a while (a few days up to a week) because I'm taking a break and resting up. Don't worry about me, the hubby is keeping a close eye on me and I have the whole extended family phoning to check in. I'll be fine. 
> 
> Reminder, I have not seen all of season 2 or season 3 of Miraculous Ladybug, so please do not spoil it for me.


	14. Update

Hello all.

Not a chapter, just a quick update. 

The situation here in the UK has not given me any time to write and post the rest of this story just yet. I've been homeschooling again and it's meant that I've had no time to devote to my fics. Nor have I had time to respond to the lovely comments you have left, though I have read them all and thank you for them.

My son will be going back to school next month but I won't be prioritizing the story or writing new ones. I need some time for myself after Boris forced us into lockdown homeschooling again.

It will get finished at some point, so until then consider this on a temporary hiatus. Hope you're all staying safe and well.

Aishoka

**Author's Note:**

> I'm back. I'm doing my Christmas writing challenge again. The full list is over on my tumblr if anyone wants to read it.
> 
> 2020 was not a kind year for me, and I imagine many others are in the same boat, so this is just a nice, fluffy, friendship-focused fic to end the year on. It is set during Marinette and Adrien's first Christmas as heroes, so they've only been with their kwami for a few months and are still learning about each other. I'm ignoring the Christmas musical special because a) I never saw all of it, b) I can, and c) I want to. This is just my headcanon of it. This can technically be considered a prequel to my All I Want For Christmas fic, but they can be read as stand alone fics.
> 
> Please note - **I have not seen all of season 2 or season 3 of Miraculous Ladybug** , so please do not spoil it for me. 2020 has taken many things from me but I will not let it take this from me either. I will watch them and catch up.


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